Friday, July 3, 2015

Libraries Without Limits: Exploring Alternative Library Models Part 1

The media offers a contrasting view of library services today. One on hand you see the importance of a library's role in the community celebrated, as was the case during riots in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD. On the other, bookless, 100% digital libraries are heralded as the future. Where does the truth lie in not only public perception, but, more importantly, in practice? In this six-part series, I'm going to explore a library model that is both vastly different and nearly the same as the one I work for.

Meet the Desert Foothills Library, a privately funded, free public library. Yep, such a thing exists! How is this possible? Here's a brief snapshot from the membership brochure (yes, you read that correctly, membership).



I'm looking forward to learning more about this stand-alone branch (which is located in my own backyard) and how it survives (and seemingly thrives) in today's library budget-cutting cilmate.



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